Filed Under Kalispell

Kalispell Hotel

Kalispell Main Steet Historic District (Addendum and Boundary Increase)

Running water, wake-up calls, and doors with locks were just a few of the amenities travelers could expect in this classy and expensive $2-a-night hotel, which opened in 1912. Kalispell architect Marion Riffo designed the three-story landmark built by local contractor B. Brice Gilliland. Since five other hotels closer to the railroad tracks offered stiff competition, a rooftop electric sign—one of the largest in the northwest—beckoned travelers. Hotel proprietors included Montana author Frank Linderman, who managed the business from 1924 to 1926. His frequent guest was renowned Montana artist Charlie Russell. Sale of the hotel lease brought Linderman enough profit to allow him to continue his writing. In later decades, the hotel fell on hard times and guests became less particular. Renovation, begun in 1989, transformed the original 52 rooms with “facilities down the hall” into a modern 40-room hotel. But the historic ambience remains in the lofty tin ceiling and oak stairway that still grace the spacious lobby, inviting visitors in imagine a bygone era.

Images

Kalispell Hotel, corner view.
Kalispell Hotel, corner view. View of the Kalispell Hotel, Kalispell, Montana.. Catalog #948-773 Source: Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: 1923
Kalispell Hotel, street view
Kalispell Hotel, street view (verso unavailable) b&w print Source: Official records of the Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, Montana Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: ca. 1940s
Southview Main Street, Kalispell.
Southview Main Street, Kalispell. Main Street, Kalispell, Mont. L-41. View looking south on Main St. toward the Flathead County Courthouse in the distance. Prominently visible buildings and establishments include (from left to right) Gamble Stores, Wilson's, Kalispell Bar, and the Kalispell Hotel. Sidewalks are busy with people and the street is full of parked automobiles. PAc 2013-50 Box 2-07 Kalispell - Main Street south - 1935-45 Source: Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana Creator: Photographer unknown; published by The L.L. Cook Co., Milwaukee [WI] Date: ca. 1935-45
South view Main Street, Kalispell.
South view Main Street, Kalispell. View looking south on Main St. toward the Flathead County Courthouse, Kalispell, Montana. Decorative street lamps line the sidewalks on both sides and numerous automobiles are parked along the street, one driving in the street. Visible buildings and establishments include (from left to right) Listle Cafe, Glacier Park Cafe, Cannon's clothing store, Wilson's store, Kalispell Hotel, McIntosh Music House, and Opera House. A sign painted on the side of a building on the left reads, "Odegaard & Smith Furniture Co., Auto Tops Upholstering." Catalog #948-822 Source: Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: October 1923
Hotel National and Hotel Kalispell, Kalispell
Hotel National and Hotel Kalispell, Kalispell Split view with top view of Hotel National and lower view of Hotel Kalispell. Also in view in the lower level of the National is the National Bar, and in the lower level of the Kalispell is the Kalispell Buffet; restaurant and the Kalispell Cigar parlor. No postmark; unused postcard. PAc 2013-50 Kalispell - Hotels - National and Kalispell Source: Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana Creator: Publisher unknown Date: no date
Main Street by Moonlight, Kalispell.
Main Street by Moonlight, Kalispell. View looking south toward Flathead County Courthouse in the distance, electric street lamps are lit with strings of electric lights connecting them. Visible buildings and establishments (from left to right) are Listle Cafe, Wilson's store, Kalispell Hotel, and McIntosh Music House and Opera House. Postmark on verso is Sep. 14, 1913. PAc 2013-50 Kalispell - Street Scenes - Main St Moonlight Source: Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana Creator: Publisher unknown Date: ca. 1910

Location

100 South Main Street, Kalispell, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Kalispell Hotel,” Historic Montana, accessed March 19, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/468.